There are tons of ab exercises. Work the lower abs first, then the upper. It should not be done in reverse of this. And if you don't drink alcohol then there is something else that you are doing that is preventing the loss of that last bit of flab.

Remember, fat cells imbed themselves in areas that have had accumulations in the past and they stay there. So the first place fat goes is to those cells and they glom onto it.

Sarlacc83 wrote:Growing up in Wisconsin, I was always under the impression life was out of a can or out of a casserole,

BUAHAHAHA, this is so true; and those people salt the holy hell out of everything. Including their freaking beer. I'm starting to wonder if excessive salt is really bad for you or not, though; my grandparents that live in Wisconsin are still kicking at the ages of 86 and 83 I believe, and I've watched them pour ridiculous amounts of salt on everything my whole life. My grandmother makes tomato sandwiches where she sits there salting the tomato for like, 30 seconds. Seriously, by the time she's done, you can barely see the tomato. It's ridiculous. Yet, they're still alive and in relatively good health.

Thanks, I'm thinking of incorporating some kettlebell training into my routine as well. A dude I know swears by them in terms of working core stability and functional strength. He says too many people that lift with bad technique/form/bad core stability are only compounding muscular imbalances that already exist. Not that lifting is bad, but it should only be done if the core stability and balance are not being neglected.

He's also a big proponent of making sure to stretch the hip flexors and activate/exercise the hamstrings...and that so many injuries that happen (ACL etc) are a result of too much quad dominance in the legs.

Last edited by RiggoReincarnated on Fri Mar 01, 2013 9:19 am, edited 1 time in total.

Largent80 wrote:There are tons of ab exercises. Work the lower abs first, then the upper. It should not be done in reverse of this. And if you don't drink alcohol then there is something else that you are doing that is preventing the loss of that last bit of flab.

Remember, fat cells imbed themselves in areas that have had accumulations in the past and they stay there. So the first place fat goes is to those cells and they glom onto it.

I've been working abs, but every other day. Maybe its something I should do every day? Though what I've read seems to have a mixed opinion on this.

RiggoReincarnated wrote:Any suggestions on how to really tone the midsection? I'm at a size 38 now...started around a 42/44. Want to get to around the 32-34 range.

It seems like the gut has been the most stubborn area to really cut out fat and tone.

Lose more body fat. You can have the best built abs in the world but if their is fat covering it, you won't see them. You can't spot reduce fat either, so 1000 crunches a day (which is a dubious exercise at best anyway) won't help the matter. Keep losing weight and keep your diet locked in. The stomach is a problem for most people for a reason, your body is going to fight to keep that fat around.

Largent80 wrote:There are tons of ab exercises. Work the lower abs first, then the upper. It should not be done in reverse of this. And if you don't drink alcohol then there is something else that you are doing that is preventing the loss of that last bit of flab.

Remember, fat cells imbed themselves in areas that have had accumulations in the past and they stay there. So the first place fat goes is to those cells and they glom onto it.

I've been working abs, but every other day. Maybe its something I should do every day? Though what I've read seems to have a mixed opinion on this.

Lower abs are a real bitch in particular in terms of flab removal!

I do abs (not the mod) twice a day. The low ab exercise I do is was given by a PT. It involves doing leg extensions in a scissor type motion while laying on your back. Raise both legs up with your hands face down under you ass, then move one leg out to the side keeping the other straight up, do this with the other side, then bring your feet together and kick out both at the same time. Do sets of 10....They kick my ass every time, and really help my drumming/singing.

AbsolutNET wrote:The stomach is a problem for most people for a reason, your body is going to fight to keep that fat around.

Tell me about it. I was kicking ass until I got to this last 18-20 lbs.

I think kicking the sugar to the curb was the right call. Replacing sweets with fiber rich complex carbohydrates makes my body work harder to break the food down and avoid the yo yo effect of eating simple carbs and sugar, has to help I reckon. It was hard as hell for the first 10 days or so but now I don't find myself craving sweets like I did initally. Now it's just a more generalized feeling of being hungry.

Went to the farmer's market this morning. Spent about $30.00 and had to make several trips to carry everything back to the car. This was one of about half dozen different fruit and veggie stands stands competing for business at the market.

Four days a week. I follow Wendler's 5/3/1 program. One main compound lift a day for strength (3 working sets), then cut the weight to 50-70% of your max and do 5x10. Follow up with an assistance lift or two. Works like a champ, I highly recommend it.

I put between 150-180 miles a week on my road bike and I surf whenever the waves are good so my back/shoulders and legs/hips get plenty of work outside of the gym.

I've been doing shoulders/chest/back, biceps/triceps, and legs all on separate days then doing that cycle twice each week for a total of 6 workouts.

I'm thinking of doing something similar...my quads are getting enough work through the running and biking I'm doing. Only leg lifts I feel like I may need to add are hamstrings. Maybe I can just do all of my lifting the same day, but have rest days and only hit the gym 2-3 times rather than 6.

The weather is getting nicer as well, so I don't necessarily feel that I'll have to do all my cardio at the gym, even though I'm trying to burn 1000 calories a day above my BMR 5 days a week.

My quads are ridiculous from the bike, out of proportion to the rest of my body. Hams and calves looking good too. I have big shoulders traps and upper back from paddling.

My upper body workout is pecs, abs, tri, and bi. 3x15, goal is to hit failure at the end of the last set, if I just moved up in wight not gonna hit 15 last set, maybe 12. If I can push out 20 it's time to add 5 more lbs next workout. I used to use a system for sets and reps I got out of a book. I had a next door neighbor who was a D1 scholarship baller and still looked thick years after school, they call it what 'yoked' now? Anyway when I asked him what he did, he said 3x15 to failure. Simplicity makes for consistency which is the most important thing. Being consistent, not missing workouts, not missing meals, the less thinking and decisions you have to make easier it is.

my objective is 1kcal of exercise above bmr 6 days a week until I hit the body composition I want so it sounds like we are on a similar track.

RiggoReincarnated wrote:Is it better to do cardio in the morning to burn calories or does it not matter as long as it gets done that day?

It might matter to someone who is already lean and trying to get extra-lean, but if you aren't to that point it doesn't. Don't waste time worrying about advanced (and dubious) details like that and just exercise and eat right.

RiggoReincarnated wrote:Is it better to do cardio in the morning to burn calories or does it not matter as long as it gets done that day?

It might matter to someone who is already lean and trying to get extra-lean, but if you aren't to that point it doesn't. Don't waste time worrying about advanced (and dubious) details like that and just exercise and eat right.

RiggoReincarnated wrote:Just wondered, as I see alot of "supplements" for it at the health stores...

Snake oil...

Yea. The real thing requires a blood test showing low t to qualify for a prescription. The stuff on the shelves at gnc is just a bunch of expensive junk that does nothing but seperate you from you money.

Killed it at the farmers market this morning. Filled my trunk for 31 bucks. Screw you grocery stores.

Weighed in at 217 this morning...albeit after a 7 mile run. So friggin happy...feeling better than I have in years, and my goals are starting to finally come into sight. I really had to work to get from 230 to 220...and am feeling enormously better in terms of endurance and overall confidence with each barrier broken.

I'm down to around that same range. Got a long ways to go but ditto on the 'feeling better' part. I had a couple of bites of pizza at a party the other day and it didn't even taste good. Set me straight back to the 'feeling like ass' thing too.

Doug Baldwin took a hit to the head when he was younger and now can't remember how to drop a football. - SomersetHawk

I'm down to around that same range. Got a long ways to go but ditto on the 'feeling better' part. I had a couple of bites of pizza at a party the other day and it didn't even taste good. Set me straight back to the 'feeling like ass' thing too.

Thanks dude. What's been helping me is that if I do allow myself a night to go out/stay up late/drink/etc...I make sure its Friday night rather than Saturday.

I find that if I get good nights sleep on Saturday and Sunday nights, I can be recovered and get back into a routine on Monday much more easily than if I go out on a Saturday night.

Humbling experience at morning bootcamp gym class I tried for the hell of it: when a Korean woman half your body-weight is paired to hold you while doing sprints with resistance stretch cords, and you feel like you're going to keel over after about 3 of them, while she is still going hardcore when its her turn to run pulling you like an ox. Just when I thought I was getting in decent shape as well - ass kicked both physically and mentally.

RiggoReincarnated wrote:Humbling experience at morning bootcamp gym class I tried for the hell of it: when a Korean woman half your body-weight is paired to hold you while doing sprints with resistance stretch cords, and you feel like you're going to keel over after about 3 of them, while she is still going hardcore when its her turn to run pulling you like an ox. Just when I thought I was getting in decent shape as well - ass kicked both physically and mentally.

Nothing quite like getting out of your own head and getting a good taste of reality is there :-).

When I bought my road bike at the end of last June I went out for a shop ride at the invitation of the store owner. As soon as we got out of town I got dropped like a bad habit, and there were like fat ladies and old people in that group! It pissed me off so I started riding every day, grinding away and losing weight.

Fast forward to thanksgiving. I was 55lbs lighter and a whole lot fitter. went out for a big thanksgiving group ride - first time riding with others since I bought my bike. felt strong and I was riding with the b+ group which was averaging about 22mph on a 50 mile ride.

There was a chick, probably in her late 40s who got in front and kept the tempo high, and people started dropping off the back (I thought that was considered poor etiquette on a club ride? Idk). I was in survival mode. we hit a hill at about the 45 miles mark and she dropped the hammer! If I fell off the back of the group no way I would be able to catch back up so I turned myself inside out to stay on the wheel of the guy in front of me. I got tunnel vision really bad and wanted to throw up. But I held on! Out of over 20 riders in that group there was a small handful of us left at the end of the ride and I was one of them.

That was one hard woman. Months of working out 6 days a week and I got destroyed hanging on. And that was just a B group!

that stuff has a way of keeping things real. working out alone all the time, it's easy to become a legend in our own minds.

Do any of you find that the grind of the week often impacts your workouts?

Felt great on Monday, pretty good yesterday, really had to struggle this morning. Wednesday and or Thursday seem to consistently be the hardest for me. On Friday I see the light at the end of the tunnel and feel more similar to the way I do on Monday...as I know a respite is coming.

If you're feeling more fatigued as the week wears on, it's probably related to higher volume exercise vs lower calories during the week. Then you break from exercise and eat more over the weekend and feel great when you get back at it.

hawker84 wrote:P90X baby.. worked for me.. did it for 2 years, was in better shape than i was in highschool.. the plyometrics and strengthening/cardio excercises are hard but will git you in shape.. oh by the way.. P90X is pure hell in a box...getting ready to start it again, get in shape for summer.

one more thing.. drink a ton of water, you'll drop 10lbs doing that alone.. more you drink the less your body will store.. i drank close to a gallon a day, that's all i could stand, some drink more...

Watch your water drinking during meals. Tons of water then can dilute your digestive enzymes slowing your digestive system. I'm no diet expert so I will shut up here but believe it.

anyway, based in no small part on the some of the discussion here I tightened up on my diet and ditched sugar, white carbs, and processed foods in general. It's been a couple of months now - I did have a couple of small relapses, ate some candy on easter and it made me feel like ass. But now I'm to the point where a whole food diet is normal, and the idea of eating processed food or drinking soda pop sounds really unappetizing.

I feel a lot better. For real.

Weighed in the morning - 175 lbs. That's 69 lbs since may of last year. I haven't weighed 175 since I was in high school.

Two Sundays ago I did my first century ride - completed in 4:50, that's like 20.7mph average or something like that. my resting heart rate is down to 48!

Now the bad news.

Just before that I got a nerve pinch at c5/c6 surfing and after gutting it through the century ride and a couple more training rides I was finally ordered off the bike by my doctor. went from a pretty big high about being in the best shape since I was a teenager to barely being able to care for myself in just a few days time really. Chiro and NSADs/ice/rest/compression were ineffective so I start the steroids tomorrow, and if that doesn't work it's epidural time. Don't appear to be a candidate for a fusion just yet so there is that at least. But this pain frigging sucks. I want back on the bike.